Came thru Swampy 2weeks ago. 3 customs officers giving 2 Chinese ladies a full baggage search.Waved us thru despite us struggling with an obviously large box, Mrs deepee chuckling at the thought of how they would of reacted on seeing her nice new wheelbarrow

The means may be likened to a seed ,the end to a tree;
And there is just the same inviolable connection between the means and the end
as there is between the seed and the tree.
............. Mohandas Karamchand GANDHI

Came in yesterday with the wife. I had a bicycle, two large suitcases etc and was not stopped. The wife was just behind me with one suitcase and small bag. I was not stopped and she was. I helped her put her bag through and was not asked to put mine through. It seems to be a cursory random thing and the first time either of us has been stopped.

I thought I posted the earlier part of this, but can't find it, forgive me if I double posted

Back in Nov 2016 my son sent me another cigar shipment, 10 boxes. This got intercepted in Bangkok and, despite warnings from the clerk that it was illegal to ship in cigars and we could be arrested, we traveled up to see what I could salvage.

Due to our calm, humorous, approach at customs the boss said that he could not release, but if we had never come up they would have to destroy them in 30 days. He said, since we were nice, and everyone in the office liked us, he would not report our visit, and if we come back in 30 days he would report that he burned the cigars but give them to me.

We returned just before Christmas and were told by the #2 in charge he could only give me 2 of the 10 boxes, so sorry!

Jump forward to May 2017 we had just returned from 3.5 months in the states and were traveling from BKK to home in Bang Saphan when my wife got a call. She was shocked to see it was the number of the #2 customs man in BKK and didn't answer. She told me she was scared that they knew we came through customs, was not searched, but had cigars. I assured her this was impossible and convinced her to call back which she did. #2 told her that the case from my 2016 shipment was concluded and he could give me back more cigars .

We traveled up to BKK and met the official in a coffee shop off campus. He explained that, to prevent collusion, items to be destroyed are listed to another office, processed, then permission sent back to destroy. This is what happened and they now had permission to destroy the shipment. But they, again, said how much they liked us, and wanted me, a new retiree from the States, to know there are nice government officials (his words). He had to keep some to show pictures of them being burned but gave me back 7 boxes! (final tally migrant 9 boxes, immigration 1). On the phone he said he did not want any gift, baht, etc. We did buy a bottle of wine but he adamantly refused to take it.

The humidity in their warehouse must have been good since all the cigars made it in great shape!!